New York City Mayor Eric Adams has decided to throw in the towel for his re-election campaign, not that anyone is likely surprised. But how does this turn of events affect the remaining contenders for a shot at running the Big Apple?
Adams made the announcement that he was giving up his re-election bid in a 9-minute social media video on Sunday, September 28. While he cited several reasons for the decision, he didn’t leave any clues as to what he has planned for the future.
The now-dismissed federal corruption case cast a heavy shadow on Adams, and “constant media speculation” about his future left uncertainty in voters, he claimed. There’s also discontent among the Democrats because he seemed to be getting cozy with President Donald Trump and then switched from his own party to list himself as an independent. All of these reasons and more combined to make it impossible for Adams to collect enough donations to run a realistic campaign, according to the mayor’s own analysis.
Although Mr. Adams didn’t endorse any of the current candidates, he did send out a warning to look for “insidious forces” that are using local government to “advance divisive agendas.” “That is not change, that is chaos,” Adams said. “Instead, I urge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.”
For traditional Democrat voters, it comes down to former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent, and state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who clinched the Democrat nomination handily. Adams’ withdrawal helps Cuomo, but Mamdani’s poll numbers continue to show a monumental lead, so it won’t be an easy road for the former governor.
Mamdani was quick to start the mudslinging after Adams’ announcement, aiming his dirt at Cuomo. “New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of,” Mamdani said.
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Cuomo complimented Adams in a social media post for “putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition,” and then threw in a plug for his own campaign: “We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them.”
Mamdani is running a campaign littered with promises, offering ideas such as city-owned grocery stores, free buses, and rent freezes. The Trump administration has said this approach is a threat to businesses, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned the proposals risk putting the Big Apple in a financial crisis and that if the city goes to Washington for a bailout, it won’t be getting one. “You can’t enact policies like this and expect to be bailed out,” Bessent said.
In a statement, Mamdani wrote, “Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions, but they will not dictate the results of this election.”
Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa each think they are the chosen one to beat Mamdani. “Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani,” campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna wrote in a statement – although with an average of just 13% in the polls, this seems more like hype than hope. “Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched,” he continued. However, Sliwa is not necessarily a fan favorite even within his own party. President Trump said in a recent interview that the Republican hopeful is “not exactly prime time.”
Now that Adams has bowed out, the contestant list shrinks. New Yorkers need to decide whether they want to go with a man who promises the moon and the stars, or a former governor who resigned because of sexual harassment allegations. For the Big Apple, it seems there are tough choices ahead.